Determined

"Well you look exhausted." Chase said, placing his tray on the table. It was lunch break and Alicia sat alone as she always did, eating an apple while reading a book or scrawling on her phone. When she came back from Alfairia for the first time last year, she couldn't handle all the immaturity and meaningless effort that came with cliques and specifically, her former clique; the popular kids. She didn't want to discuss homecoming dances and who's hosting a party next or even who's wearing what, bleh bleh bleh, when she suddenly had the weight of a kingdom and a death upon her. Sometimes, something tragic happens and you know what? You can't go on with the stuff that doesn't matter anymore. You suddenly realize it's all meaningless and it just doesn't matter. When her cousin, Claud died, the person she was  died with him too. A queen had to rise.

Alicia looked up at him, warily. "Can I help you?"

"No," he said opening his can of soda. "I was just saying you look really tired."

"Thank you for pointing out what I was clearly aware of." Alicia replied drily. She didn't see the point of people pointing out that she was tired. Obviously she knew that; she housed her own body.

"You're welcome." He said, unbothered by her tone as he bit into his greasy burger. Alicia watched him devour his lunch like an animal for a minute before she finally gave in and asked,

"What do you want?"

"To sit here and eat."

"Don't you have a chair reserved especially for you next to Blair on the popular table?" She asked, glancing over her shoulder at Blair who was indeed, glaring at her as if Alicia had anything to do with it.

"I do, but they won't mind." He replied obliviously. She watched him for another minute, unaware of what to say because she did not know his intentions at all.

"We're not friends, Chase. You can't sit here."

"Touché, but now we are."

"No, we're not."

"Yes, we are." He insisted.

"No, we're not. Just because I told you all that stuff about..." She frowned, eyes downcast. This is why she didn't speak to anyone. Conversation always led back to Claud.

"Just because you told me all that stuff about Claud does mean we are now friends. You're different, but it's a good different." He finished for her.

"Is that what you tell all the girls you meet?"

He grinned and shamelessly said, "Only if I mean it. You know if I say something I mean it."

"I'm glad we're getting to know each other already." She replied, heavily sarcastic as she turned back to her book when it was clear that he wasn't leaving, but obviously Chase wasn't getting the hint at all as he continued sitting there, eating.

"You know if you sit with an outcast, you may just turn into one." Alicia murmured, her eyes still fixed on the book.

"Technically," Chase replied, scrunching his eyebrows as if he was thinking hard. "You're the one who rejected and ignored us all, which makes us the outcasts. Not you."

Alicia had obviously once sat in the table with Chase and other jocks and the queen bees of the school before. She had always thought that he was just like the rest of the jocks; rash, dumb and loud but she was beginning to realize that the boy was more perceptive than he seemed. She could imagine all the secrets he carried because he was so undermined and underestimated.

"That's the smartest thing I've ever heard a jock ever say, I'm almost impressed." She smiled weakly at him. "You still need to go though. I don't want company and your girlfriend's giving me the death glare."

"Tell you what," he said, leaning forward. "How about you and I go over there to their table?"

"Forget it." Alicia declared, dismissing the idea immediately. She left for a reason and she wasn't going back soon.

"Okay, then we'll endure Blair's glaring from here. Did you know intensity is related to distance? It'll feel worse from here. But that's none of my business." He took a drink of his soda, eyes fixed on her. Alicia could help but notice his soft, brown mile-long eyelashes and those intense green eyes.

Alicia wasn't planning on saying anything, but he did it - he had triggered the nerd in her. When she was out of her eyelash trance, she declared, "That is so wrong. Intensity is actually indirectly proportional to distance and is, therefore the inverse of distance. Science dictates that her mega-glare will be much worse closer. But," she sighed. "Fine. Let's go. I can't handle the spikes behind my neck anymore."

Chase smiled and rose first with his tray in hand and gave Alicia a 'ladies first' tip of the head. Alicia groaned and rose, grabbed her bag and book, leaving the apple right there.

She hated apples anyway. Always have.

She walked to the table and sat right next to Rocky, who was seated next to Claire and joking with the rest of the jocks. Chase took his place next to Blair, who, yet again dug her ugly claws into his arm.

Rocky turned to his sister and grinned.

"And that, is how the Jackson siblings, the royals of the school, are once again reunited." He said, placing a kiss on her temple. As shallow as he seemed, Rocky had never hidden his undying love for his sister, even when she went from 'popular' to 'freak', or maybe it was the fact that they looked insanely good next to each other. Alicia wiped it away anyway and tried to find her place in the book.

"The prodigal daughter has returned home." Chase said, smugly.

"You may as well say 'son'. It's okay." Blair said, glancing at her white shirts which was folded by her forearms. Alicia had paired the crisp white shirt with dark jeans and standard Vans because exactly who had the time to dress up for school? She glanced at the other girl, who wore an expensive pink dress that looked like it was from Guess and a quality pink blazer with pink and golden glittery trims to match the blond in her hair. Blair; Blair had time to dress up for school.

"At least I don't look like glorified pixie puke." Alicia muttered before she glanced back down at her book unconcerned and unbothered. Chase had been right; less glaring here.

"Well, aren't you going to say hi to the people who were once your friends?" Tiffany, Blair's right hand girl, asked....more like commanded.

Alicia raised her head and sighed. With a fake toothy grin, she said cheerily, "Well, hello everyone. How do you do? Your queen has returned. Can I get back to my book now, or do you have any more requests?"

Lucian laughed and bumped shoulders with her.

"Good one." He said.

"You know what? Just because you were nominated for homecoming queen, doesn't mean you're actually a queen. I think you need to go. You're not welcome here." Blair declared with her voiced raised and stood with a mean unflattering look on her face. She had always had a flair for drama.

Alicia smirked and stood up, her eyes gleaming with irony.

"With absolute pleasure." She said smoothly.

Chase stood, too, as the tension kept building. "No, that's unnecessary. Blair,"

"No," she yelled. "This girl has no respect and she doesn't deserve to be sitting in this table. Don't argue with me on this Chase. I know she--"

Rocky stood dramatically, the back of his chair slamming on the floor. The whole cafeteria was so silent, you could hear a pin drop, as the rest of the student body warmly welcomed all the drama. The school was a relatively small one so literally almost no drama ever happened at all. Troublemakers were quickly weeded out, pregnancy rumors were hushed, teacher scandals remained hidden behind stoic faces during classes. It was boring, at least for everyone else. Alicia figured that was why the students had so many parties.

"Why are you standing?" Blair asked Rocky. Rocky glanced around with fake innocent and bashfulness and said, "well, I thought everyone was standing dramatically, so decided to join in."

The whole cafeteria burst out laughing.

Rocky had made the entire student body laugh. Alicia almost shed a heartfelt tear at what a perfect peacemaker boy her very own parents had created. The tension had dissipated and the students went back to whatever they were doing, the familiar clatter and chatter filling the room. Chase dragged Blair, who was deadly furious, down and Rocky gestured to Alicia to take her seat.

"Ladies, relax." Chase said.

"Only if that--"

"--I'd be careful what you say next if I were you." Rocky injected.

"That....that thing," Blair spat. "Stays out my way."

"And I will." Alicia declared before she turned to Rocky. "Mate, look what are we going to about being banished. I can't decide what to do."

Rocky looked around slightly alarmed but his friends were focusing on their own little conversations.
"Licia, are you sure this is the time or place for this?"

"Time or place for what?" Claire asked, leaning over the Rocky and glancing at the twins.

"Oh, we want to talk about this secret kingdom we were chased from. Rebels." Alicia said, to her.

Claire nodded as if she understood. "Video games. I hate those sometimes. They're sooo like, time consuming."

Alicia turned to Rocky and smiled pointedly. He sighed and rubbed his face tiredly.

"I don't know what to do. I've been thinking about it all night."

"All morning." Alicia corrected.

"All morning." He agreed. "But what can we do?"

"I can't not do anything, Lucian. I just can't."

"Maybe you should just let it go. Someone else can handle it."

"I can't run from this," she said frustratedly.

"Licia, there's no---"

"---Stop trying to dissuade me from this when I need you to support me, I'm begging you. I can't run from this. Alfairia is a part of me now and if I lose myself, I lose it all. Running from your problems does nothing to fix them."

Blair smirked at her. Alicia hadn't noticed that she had been speaking so passionately that her voice was raised. "Of course, you'd know a few things about running, don't you? Isn't the last day we saw Claud alive the time you stormed out of cheerleading practice when Rob dumped you? Look how well that turned out."

Alicia stood and looked at Lucian, eyes full of determination and sorrow.
"We need to discuss this. Are you with me or not?" she inquired.

Rocky looked at her with regret and nodded gravely before she grabbed her stuff and left the cafeteria.

Chase glared at his girlfriend and shook his head as he rose to follow Alicia.

~~~~~

Thanks for reading. Am I the only one shipping Chase and Alicia all of a sudden?
Xxx